Armstrong explained the circumstances behind his decision to use more serious substances.

“We rode in 1994 and we didn’t move into high-octane. We just suffered through the year,” he said.

“In ’95, we just decided to make that next step. It’s not my style to name names. There were certainly as a whole us American guys, to generalise that group, who made that decision together.

“Perhaps there were people on the team, older riders who we knew had done that, and there were others – we had to have help from the team doctor – but these are all people who have avoided any consequences. Totally.”